It's almost 20 years since the last government shutdown in the US, which lasted almost a month. The man who orchestrated that showdown with the then president Bill Clinton was Newt Gingrich - the Republican speaker of the house. He told North America correspondent Lisa Millar that Republicans should stick to their guns and not cave in to the president.

Transcript

TIM PALMER: It's almost 20 years since the last government shutdown in the United States, and that lasted almost a month.

The man who orchestrated that showdown with the then president Bill Clinton was Newt Gingrich - the Republican speaker of the house at the time.

He told North America correspondent Lisa Millar that Republicans should stick to their guns and not cave in to the president.

LISA MILLAR: Mr Gingrich, what might the rest of the world be thinking about the US right now?

NEWT GINGRICH: The United States has a unique constitutional system. We divide power between the Congress and the president. So we're not like Australia, which has a parliamentary system. And we currently have a fight underway between the Congress and the president.

We've done this 17 times over the last 25 years.

LISA MILLAR: But not for the last 20 years.

NEWT GINGRICH: But it's happened before. Happened I think 12 times under the Democratic speaker Tip O'Neill. It happened twice when I was speaker. People shouldn't over-react to it. It's just part of the legislative process.

LISA MILLAR: How long is it going to last?

NEWT GINGRICH: Some time between today and three weeks from now.

LISA MILLAR: Do Republicans have to bow to - are they the ones that have to compromise?

NEWT GINGRICH: You just used exactly the right word. Obama wants them to bow. I don't think it's a very American habit to bow.

LISA MILLAR: Well you have experience with this. What would you be telling them to do, the Republicans on the hill?

NEWT GINGRICH: Get a lot of sleep. Rest. Takes lots of energy, uses up a lot of adrenaline, and the president, sooner or later, has to recognise he's part of the constitutional process. He's not a king. He's not above us. We don't bow to him, to use your word, and I think the day he's willing to negotiate they'll find an agreement.

LISA MILLAR: On what basis though do Republicans have to get rid of Obamacare? It's gone through the Congress, it's been approved by the Supreme Court. You've had an election about it.

NEWT GINGRICH: We often change laws. It happens all the time. It's not at all unusual to change the law.

TIM PALMER: Former House speaker Newt Gingrich speaking there to Lisa Millar.